McLaughlin shoots down rivals AT A GLANCE
Scott McLaughlin smashed the lap record for a Supercar around Mount Panorama yesterday to claim pole position for today’s Bathurst 1000.
The Kiwi driver has broken the lap record around the famous circuit three times in as many days, setting a new benchmark of 2:03.378 in the top 10 shootout to secure the box seat for the race that stops Australia and New Zealand.
While there’s still the race to come, it has been a stunning week from McLaughlin as he aims to be the first New Zealand main game driver to win this race since Greg Murphy in 2004.
The 26-year-old has been the quickest driver in every session that has mattered this week and he and his co-driver Alex Premat will be the combination everyone will be trying to beat today.
He will be joined on the front row by Chaz Mostert, while Shane van Gisbergen was the fifth fastest.
Kiwi drivers Richie Stanaway, Andre Heimgartner and Fabian Coulthard all missed out on the shootout and will start the race in 12th, 13th and 16th respectively on the grid.
For these three, the day was all about making sure their cars were set up well for the race.
After the lap McLaughlin revealed he had been keeping something back in practice, but went for it all in the shootout.
‘‘I’m obviously stoked,’’ McLaughlin said.
‘‘We have had a great car since the get go and the real work is easy when you have a great team, a great car and the data behind it to learn where you’ve gone wrong and where you can improve.
‘‘I left a bit on the table in practice, because I was being safe a bit, but I knew where I could go faster.
‘‘I had a crack, especially across the top, where I was soft in practice and I held on really well.’’
While McLaughlin is the red hot favourite to win Bathurst for the first time today, there’s no escaping the stat that the last time a car that started on Chaz Mostert – 2:03.789 Cameron Waters – 2:03.917 Jamie Whincup – 2:03.950
Will Davison – 2:04.329 Anton de Pasquale – 2:04.383 Nick Percat – 2:04.670
Tim Slade – 2:04.839
Mark Winterbottom – 2.04.980
pole position and went on to win the race was in 2009 when being driven by Garth Tander and Will Davison.
‘‘We’ve got the best possible position to start the great race, but it means nothing because there are 161 laps, everyone knows that,’’ McLaughlin said.
‘‘There’s fair quote coming out that it’s 10 years since someone won it from pole, so we’ll have to get on with it, use our position and see how we go.’’
McLaughlin has had his eye on a Bathurst win since early in the Supercars season and this will be his best shot so far in claiming victory at Mount Panorama.
But he insists if he isn’t successful, it won’t mean it’s been a bad year. ‘‘What will be will be,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s what I’ve come into this with.
‘‘I’ve tried to enjoy the week as much as I can.
‘‘My mum [Diane McLaughlin] says it’s like Christmas, but not everyone gets a present and I’m going to wake up like it’s Christmas, be excited for it and go after it like everyone else will.’’
Shootout times Scott McLaughlin (NZ) – 2:03.378
Shane van Gisbergen (NZ) – 2:04.113